Wizard: Become stronger by drawing cards from the potions variety show

Chapter 817

"It seems everyone has found their place, which is good. A smart person is one who can recognize their own thoughts, and I've always enjoyed dealing with smart people."

Noah surveyed the three distinct lines of people with satisfaction, a smile playing on his lips.

His gaze first fell on the surrenderers and the fleeing faction.

"I must say, given your past experience and intelligence, it was completely unexpected that you could come up with these two solutions. The AI ​​assessment concluded that your plan does have merit, so congratulations, your plan has been approved."

He clapped his hands lightly, his tone as cheerful as if he were announcing a party, just as fireworks exploded in the sky above the hall, balloons floated up, and white doves took flight.

Of course, these are all AI simulations.

"Wow, this is really a party."

"He's insulting us, you idiot."

Stark said with a hint of helplessness.

Noah spread his hands: "Don't look at me with prejudice. I sincerely wish you well."

"Now you can put your skills to good use: negotiate elections, bribe officials, build cliques... Use your best methods to establish internal structures and invest all your resources in the path you've chosen. Isn't this exactly what you excel at?"

He paused, his voice now carrying an undeniable chill: "Note that this is the second time I've emphasized this: aside from essential living expenses, all other resources must be invested in your plan. Please remember, this is a requirement, not a request."

The audience exchanged bewildered glances, and someone immediately objected: "This isn't fair! We've already handed over the authority, and you said the remaining resources still belong to us!"

Noah waved his hand casually: "That's right, the resources are yours, and the ideas are yours. You chose this path, so of course you have to pay the price. Do you expect AI to fund your surrender or escape plans? Don't be ridiculous."

Ignoring the rising and falling protests from the audience, he turned to the main AI and said, "Please remove them. Monitor every expenditure of their businesses in detail, and deal with any overstepping of boundaries directly."

"you can not do that!"

"I protest! This is dictatorship! It violates the original rules of AI!"

The protests from both sides abruptly ceased the next second.

Their figures vanished from the hall instantly, forcibly logged off. The previously crowded space suddenly felt much emptier, with forty-five people remaining.

Noah whispered to the AI, "They don't fully understand the meaning of 'wartime emergency' yet. But it doesn't matter."

The AI ​​responded gently: "I will allocate some computing power for real-time monitoring to ensure that all their resources are used for the designated projects."

"That would be perfect."

Noah turned to face the remaining crowd, slowly walked down from the platform, and came to stand among them.

“It’s truly astonishing,” he said, his gaze sweeping across each face. “After witnessing such an enemy, forty-five of you still chose to resist. Should we say you’ve lost your instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, or should we praise your courage?”

This number far exceeded his expectations.

He originally thought that these pampered core members were all incompetent, with at most one or two people pretending to disagree.

"It seems that the previous suggestion to remove 300 people was too conservative..."

Dale, his brow furrowed, stood straight at the front of the line: "No need for sarcasm, Noah. There are plenty of courageous people in the inner circle."

“We all know—even those who have left know—that we are the key to the survival of civilization.”

His voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a resolute determination:
"If we win, we will become heroes and pioneers of civilization; if we lose, we will become sacrifices used by the peacemakers to quell the other side's anger. If the future situation is still favorable, we may be labeled as 'out of touch with reality'; but if civilization falls into darkness, we will be the last backbone, the torch burning in the darkness!"

Behind him, everyone stood tall with unwavering gazes.

They knew exactly what path they had chosen, yet none of them backed down.

Noah's gaze swept over every face, some filled with nostalgia, some with determination, and some with self-deprecation, but without a trace of hesitation or wavering.

He was slightly moved and bowed, saying, "I apologize for what I just said. There are indeed people who still have courage."

This sudden apology stunned everyone.

Noah, who had been assertive from the start of the meeting, suddenly bowed his head, catching everyone off guard.

Dell’s booming voice broke the silence: “No need for apologies. Just tell me, what do you need us to do? Now that AI has all the authority and can allocate social order and resources, you should have everything you need.”

Noah shook his head: "We lack the most crucial resource—people."

"With a year to go before the enemy arrives, we must race against time. Such a large-scale operation cannot be kept secret from everyone, so the most urgent task is to announce the existential threat we face."

His expression turned serious: "But when the end of the world comes, all the facets of human nature will be exposed. Not everyone will be united; chaos, indulgence, venting, and destruction may become the norm."

"I need you to use every means at your disposal: religion, administration, carnivals, voting and speeches... whatever you do, make active preparation for war the mainstream voice in society."

"We need a unified will, a united group from top to bottom."

"Although the main AI has the highest authority, it needs your cooperation to give civilization a chance to survive."

He looked around at the crowd and said in a low voice, "Believe me, the side that loses in the struggle between civilizations will never have a good ending. They will often only be able to choose between 'bad' and 'worse,' and then comfort themselves with various reasons to cover up their regret for giving up the fight."

Dell pressed further: "Is this all we need to do?"

“That’s right, this is the most important task.” Noah showed his first genuine smile of the day. “In fact, it’s very difficult. No idea can win 100% support. According to the main AI’s prediction, we may need to sacrifice 30% of the population.”

Despite his smiling face, the meaning behind his words sent chills down everyone's spine.

Civilization needs a unified voice.

This is the price of survival.

Therefore, Noah's bottom line for them was crystal clear: at least 70% of the population had to be in a positive mood to prepare for war.

As for the remaining 30%, Noah didn't say it explicitly, but everyone knew it.

This naturally includes the surrenderers and those who fled who were previously purged.

Dell took a deep breath: "I will do everything I can to get as many people as possible on our side. But is that really enough? I mean, will that alone allow us to catch up in terms of technological development?"

Noah nodded solemnly: "If you can really do it, civilization will have hope of winning."

"If you fail to do this, this civilization will cease to exist in 380 days."

"It's either win or lose; there's no third way. Surrender or run away, it's all the same—death." "I understand," Dale replied in a deep voice.

He turned to face the forty-four faces behind him, his voice firm and resolute: "Gentlemen, let us fight without hesitation. The future of civilization is in our hands. Forge ahead bravely and forge ahead with determination!"

Forty-four people roared in unison, their voices almost lifting the hall: "Forge ahead bravely, forge ahead with determination!"

A smile finally appeared on Dell's face, and he immediately raised his arms and shouted, "Let's take them down!"

"Fuck them!"

"Fuck you!"

Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs, as if they wanted to unleash all the fear and anger in their hearts.

Everyone roared until their eyes were red and their veins were bulging. The emotions that had been building up and suppressed for so long since they saw the enemy aircraft carrier were finally released.

Once the commotion subsided, Noah said softly, "Everyone, go back and prepare."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's figures disappeared one by one, teleported away—except for Dale.

Noah chuckled and patted Dale on the shoulder: "You did a really good job. You exceeded expectations. No wonder some people say that politicians are born actors. Honestly, if some movies could get you guys to act in them, the level would definitely be even higher."

Dale didn't respond to that question, but instead looked intently at Noah: "We'll win, won't we?"

Noah slowly withdrew his hand, and the smile on his face gradually faded.

He realized that Dell was serious.

After a moment's thought, Noah solemnly replied, "Yes, at least this time, we will win."

Dell looked as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, a relieved smile spreading across his face: "With your words of comfort, I'm at ease."

"Send me away, I need to prepare for the next meeting. I don't intend to abandon anyone, I will ensure everyone has the will to fight to the end."

His figure began to gradually disappear.

Before the transfer was completed, Noah added, "Good wish. You can contact Harden, he'll help you."

……

In the days that followed, even the most oblivious person noticed the change.

Society as a whole seemed to be put on fast-forward, running at an unprecedented speed.

Colleges and universities in various cities have fully opened up their resources, doubling the resource allocation for both learners and researchers. This isn't limited to the education system; the entire society's professional evaluation system has also been adjusted, placing greater emphasis on research findings and actual output efficiency.

The path to social advancement suddenly became clear and smooth.

As long as you have talent, ability, and achievements, your status, treatment, and authority will improve rapidly—it's a comprehensive leap forward.

For scholars, this is the best of times; for creators, it is a time of celebration.

Society is experiencing unprecedented prosperity, and everyone is shining in their own field. The ceiling that once stood in the way seems to have disappeared overnight.

This applies to support classes, and even more so to combat classes.

A large number of competitive events have suddenly emerged worldwide, with rewards including many secret techniques that previously required a huge amount of contribution points to redeem.

Previously, obtaining these resources required going through extremely difficult qualification reviews. Now, these resources are completely open, and everyone can practice the most suitable cultivation method for themselves with the help of AI's suggestions.

Logically speaking, such a free atmosphere and the high-intensity competitions that can be seen everywhere would lead to serious injuries and deaths.

Physical disability or even death is inevitable.

However, with the joint endorsement of the Combat Association and AI, an emergency rescue system was quickly established: a first aid station was set up every three kilometers within the city, and readily available nanobots could repair all injuries except for fatal wounds and limb mutilation free of charge.

Even with more severe injuries, nanorobots can stabilize the condition and transport the injured to a top hospital for emergency treatment within five minutes.

Doctors and researchers at key hospitals will meticulously record the injuries and the progress of the practitioners' exercises, adjusting treatment plans accordingly and providing further guidance on training.

In the early stages of the program's implementation, some sociologists worried that this unconditional treatment would encourage violence, make fighting and brawling a social norm, and be detrimental to stability.

Surprisingly, although the number of battles and sparring sessions did increase, the social atmosphere became more peaceful.

There were no deaths, no permanent injuries, no grudges between the two sides, and all unpleasantness vanished after the fight. Even many clerical workers are happy to have a "chicken fight" in their spare time.

Various mysterious religious sects began to emerge, most of which used cultivation techniques as their means of transmission. These sects often collaborated with universities and research institutes in various regions to scientifically study the potential for improvement in a particular direction of the cultivation techniques.

In this positive and harmonious atmosphere, the sudden appearance of a report completely ignited the news that aliens were about to invade, making it widely known.

The report was prompted by a citizen's complaint to the monitoring robot, stating that his relative had suddenly disappeared without a trace and he suspected that something had happened to him.

However, after receiving the alarm, the robot reported that the family member was "in good condition" and that the specific whereabouts "could not be disclosed".

Normally, the matter would end there. But this meticulous complainant believed that AI was suspected of dereliction of duty and decided to expose it through social media channels.

Although the reported content was quickly taken down, it caught the attention of a reporter.

The reporter discovered that the person who called the police was also no ordinary person.

It is abnormal that the disappearance of one's own loved ones requires the intervention of AI.

So he began his investigation.

He had his own channels. Through internal information networks, he discovered that among the missing persons' families, four or five families had previously disappeared in the same way. It wasn't four or five individuals, but four or five entire families that had disappeared.

This is why AI is mentioned.

If it's a normal classified research project, it's understandable that an individual's whereabouts are kept secret, but the disappearance of an entire household is extraordinary.

Further investigation by reporters revealed a clear chronological order among the missing families, and that they often disappeared quietly after gaining access to the authorities.

The reporter's keen senses immediately alerted him: there must be something wrong here.

So, after a long period of investigation and undercover work, the reporter, disguised as the butler, discovered the secret and chose to reveal it to the public.

—"Aliens are about to invade, and the world is about to enter its doomsday."

(End of this chapter)